Diamondbacks Go for Series Victory Behind Brandon Pfaadt

Left-hander Parker Messick will be making his MLB debut. The 24-year-old made 20 starts in Triple-A and posted a 3.47 ERA.

Messick was taken in the second round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Florida. He throws a 92.6 MPH four-seamer 48% of the time, but it's his changeup where he gets his swing-and-miss and outs. Hitters are batting just .115 against the change, and he has a 46% whiff rate on the pitch.

Messick also throws a curveball and a slider, and and an occasional two-seamer. He earned his call-up by throwing strikes over his last five starts. In his most recent 30 innings he has issued just six free passes while striking out 36.

Brandon Pfaadt has been somewhat of an enigma during his first three years in MLB. His 5.08 ERA this year is almost exactly the same as his 5.06 ERA. Yet his career peripherals, in the form of metrics like FIP (4.25) and xFIP (3.96) point to a pitcher that has deserved an ERA much lower that five.

There is one predictive metric this year that points to Pfaadt not being unlucky though. That would be Statcast's xERA. That's based on actual strikeouts and walks, plus the quality of contact in the form of exit velocity and launch angle.

It's here where Pfaadt's 5.92 xERA this year the trend of peripherals being lower than his ERA is broken.

Pfaadt has adjust his pitch mix over the last month, throwing more sinkers than four-seamers and more changeups and cutters than sweepers. But that's come with very mixed sucess.

The issue of late has simply been too many hits. He's given up 19 in his last 11 innings, leading to seven earned runs.

Pfaadt has been much better at home however, posting a 3.76 ERA at Chase Field, compared to a 6.50 ERA on the road. He faced the Guardians once before, in 2024, going 6.1 innings and giving up just two runs.

Diamondbacks at Guardians Lineup

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Diamondbacks and Guardians Bullpens

The D-backs had to use four relievers on Tuesday despite Eduardo Rodriguez going 6.2 innings. Juan Burgos only threw four pitches, but was hit on the pad of his right throwing hand by a comebacker on the last play of the seventh. X-rays were negative.

Andrew Hoffmann struggled, needing 22 pitches to record two outs and give up a run. Kyle Backhus pitched for the third time in four games, came in and cleaned up Hoffmann's mess.

Andrew Saalfrank worked a 1-2-3, low-stress ninth inning. Saalfrank, along with Juan Morillo and Jalen Beeks, should be the primary leverage options for Wednesday's day game.

The Guardians also used four relievers, but their high-leverage arms, Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis had the night off after working two straight games.

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